Illuminated center post for phonograph turntables



April 9, 1957 E. s. HOWLE 2,788,437

ILLUMINATED CENTER POST FOR FHONOGRAPH wuaumspss Filed April 27. 1956 IN V EN TOR. EDWA e0 5. HUM/L ,5

wm amm ww m ATTOZA EYS d States PatentfO ILLUNIINATED CENTER POST FOR PHONOGRAPH TURNTABLES Edward S. Howle, Charleston, S. C. Application April 27, 1956, Serial No. 581,219

2 Claims. (Cl. 2402.12)

This invention relates to an illuminated center post of the turntable of a manually operated phonograph or automatic record changer.

In many instances, it is ditficult to properly align the center opening of a phonograph record with the center post, and the present invention is designed to eliminate the difliculty which has heretofore persisted. To this end, the invention, summarized briefly comprises a center post formed of a translucent plastic or other material, within which is provided a small electric light bulb adapted to be energized whenever the record player is turned on.

The device, thus, is intended to serve as a guide for placing recordings on the turntable when the light is poor. The invention is adapted to be used with automatic record changers as well as on manually operated phonographs. When installed on an automatic changer, the illuminating means would be located within the center post near the tip thereof. The illuminating means, whether used on a manual or automatic phonograph, serves not only to lighten the area surrounding the center post, but is adapted to also serve as a pilot light indicating that the phonograph is turned on, so that one will not forget that the machine is in operation.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to provide illumination for the center post of a phonograph. However, in every instance of which I have knowledge, said illumination has been provided by location of a bulb in spaced relation to the center post, in position such that beams from the bulb will be directed to the post.

Another object of importance is to provide center post illuminating means capable of being readily embodied in otherwise conventional phonograph constructions, with a minimum of modification and redesign of said constructions.

Still another object is to so design the illuminated center post as to permit ready removal of the same to expose the light bulb, in the event the light bulb needs to be changed.

Still another object is to so form the translucent post in relation to the turntable and bulb as to cause light emanating from the bulb to be dispersed uniformly through the center post, in a manner such as to illuminate the same over the full length and cross sectional area of the center post, while at the same time providing a diffused glow in the area immediately surrounding the upwardly projecting tip portion of the post.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a record player equipped with an illuminated center post formed according to the present invention; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged, detail sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, designated genorally at 10 is a record player. The record player is of 2,788,437 Patented Apr." 9,

conventional design including the usualtone arm 11 and turntable 12. I i

The turntable 12, at its center, is fixedly secured to a means supporting the same for rotatable movement. Said means includes a flat disc 14 secured by rivets 16 or equivalent fastening means to the underside of the center portion of the turntable. Integral with the disc is a depending stub shaft 18 rotating in an upwardly opening bearing sleeve 20 formed at its lower end with a peripheral flange 22 fixedly secured by screws 24 ortheir equivalents to the turntable base 25 of the record player. Suitable ball bearings or other anti-friction means are interposed between the stub shaft and the bearing sleeve to assure free rotation of the turntable.

The center post 26 is formed of a translucent material such as plastic, and is formed open at its lower end. The center post is of elongated, cylindrical formation, and is formed at its upwardly projecting end with a hemispherical end wall 27. The center post is frictionally engaged in aligned center openings of the turntable 12 and stub shaft 18, but can be removed whenever desired for the purpose of changing the light bulb.

In base 25 there is provided, in alignment with the post-receiving openings of turntable 12 and stub shaft 18, a center opening 28, in which is engaged a sleeve 29 receiving the base 30 of an electric light bulb 32. Bulb 32 can be any of various types, and could for example be a conventional flash light bulb, a glow lamp, etc. Current for the bulb is supplied through a lead 34 extending downwardly from the base 25 within the record player. The bulb would be connected in circuit with the electrical components of the record player, and would be so wired as to be energized whenever the main switch of the record player is in on position. The wiring required for accomplishing this is believed to be sufiiciently obvious to those working in the art as not to require special illustration herein.

In use, when the bulb is energized, the light beams emanating therefrom will fill the translucent post 26, so as to illuminate the post through the full length and cross sectional area thereof. Since the post is translucent over its entire area, the light beams will pass through the wall of the post, so as to not only provide direct illumination of the post itself, but also to provide illumination for the area surrounding the post. In some instances, it may be desired to confine all illumination to the post itself.

Due to the arrangement illustrated and described, should the light in the area of the center post be poor, no difiiculty will be experienced in placing a phonograph record upon the turntable, since the illuminated post will itself provide a guide readily alignable with the center opening of the phonograph record.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination, with a record player base having an opening, a turntable having an opening aligned with that of the base, an axially bored bearing projection secured to the turntable concentric with the turntable opening, and a bearing sleeve receiving said projection and secured to the base in concentric relation to the opening of the base, of a hollow, translucent center post removably engaged in the bore of said projection and projecting forwardly-through the turntable Opening, said cente 1 9 bein .of a tr nslucen material; and amp bulb mounted in the opening of the base and projecting upwardly within the bearing sleeve to terminate Within the bore of said projeetion, for illuminating said center post.

'2. The ,eombin-atipn, with a stationary record player base having an opening, a turntable having .an opening aligned with that of the base, an axially bored. bearing projection secured to the turntable concentric with the turntable opening, and a bearing sleeve receiving said projection and fixedly Secured to the base in. concentric relation with the topeningtof the base, said bearing sleeve receiving the projection for part ,of the length of the proi c i n, th P je tion retata-b y beari in the sleeve and being, bodily rem!)vttble from the sleeve, .of a trans lucent center post removably engaged in the bore of said projection for rotationv with the projection and. turntable and projecting upwardly through the turntable opening, said center post being of a translucent material; and a lamp bulb stationarily mounted in the opening of the base and projecting upwardly Within the bearing sleeve, said lamp bulb extending upwardly within the bore of the projection into closely spaced relation to the center post when the projection is rotatably seated within the bearing sleeve, thus to illuminate said center post.

References Cited in the fileuof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

